Pac-12 Basketball: Under-the-radar storylines heading into 2020-21

Pac-12 Basketball: Under-the-radar storylines heading into 2020-21 season

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 15: A Pac-12 basketball logo is displayed on the court before a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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TUCSON, ARIZONA – JANUARY 04: Remy Martin #1 of the Arizona State Sun Devils(Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

2. The rivalry in Arizona will be heating up thanks to strong recruiting classes

In-state rivalries ramp up the intensity in college athletics, like UNC-Duke and Oklahoma- Oklahoma State. In the Pac-12, the rivalry in the Grand Canyon State is heating up again between Arizona and Arizona State. The two teams separated by just over 100 miles finished one game apart last season with the Sun Devils getting the upper hand despite splitting the season series. The rivalry has continued this summer with both teams amassing the top two recruiting classes in the conference, both ranking in the top-10 nationally, this time the Wildcats’ 5th ranked class finishing ahead of Arizona State’s No. 7 class.

The reason for the strong recruiting classes is clear, both teams were hit hard by graduation and draft declarations. Arizona loses five seniors and its freshmen trio of Josh Green, Zeke Nnaji, and Nico Mannion to the NBA and the Sun Devils had three seniors of their own, four other transfers including junior Romello White and Remy Martin and Alonzo Verge, Jr. are still testing the NBA waters. Bobby Hurley’s class is headlined by five-star, and 12th ranked nationally, shooting guard Joshua Christopher. The 6’5 Christopher is joined by a lot of length four-star forwards Pavlo Dziuba and Marcus Bagley are 6’8 and 6’7 respectively and Chris Osten is a 6’9 center from Texas.

Sean Miller’s seven-player class has a strong international feel to it, as five of them hail from outside the United States. Lithuania boasts two players, Azuolas Tubelis, a 6’9 power forward, and his brother Tautvelis who is a 6-6 small forward. Benedict Mauthrin is the 2nd of four small forwards in the class, he played at the NBA Academy Latin America before arriving at Arizona.

Miller returned to Europe for his final two international recruits, Kerr Kriisa a 6-2 point guard from Estonia, and Daniel Batcho a four-star center from France. The two stateside recruits are four-star small forward Dalen Terry and 6’8 Tibet Gorener, the Wildcats also welcome in Terrell Brown, Jr. who played last season at Seattle where he did everything for the Redhawks, averaging over 20 points, six rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. The two Arizona teams have had an arms race this summer and fans of the two best teams in the Grand Canyon state should be treated to some great basketball this season.

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